A thematic committee on socio-economic development and strengthening security in Latvia's eastern territory, consisting of 13 ministers, has been established, as reported in the official publication 'Latvijas vēstnesis'.
The committee has been established to address issues in the eastern border region, including the security situation at the eastern border of the European Union following Russia's war in Ukraine, and to purposefully utilize development opportunities.
The committee is also created to facilitate coordinated inter-sectoral planning, including overseeing the implementation and updating of the Action Plan for Economic Growth and Strengthening Security of Latvia's Eastern Border for 2025-2027.
The committee will be led by the Minister of Smart Governance and Regional Development Edgars Tavars, with the Minister of Defense Raivis Melnis serving as his deputy.
The committee will also include the ministers of health, agriculture, foreign affairs, internal affairs, education and science, communications, finance, culture, welfare, economy, as well as climate and energy.
The committee has been tasked with three main objectives. First, it must oversee the implementation of the aforementioned action plan. Each member must provide up-to-date information on the progress of the measures included in the action plan and under their ministry's jurisdiction at least once a quarter, as well as on their impact on the development of the eastern territory and their updates.
Second, the committee must review planning document drafts and submit proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the strategic development of Latvia's eastern territory.
Third, it must review planning document drafts and draft regulations concerning the development of other target areas of regional policy in accordance with the Regional Development Law, ensuring coordination of regional and sectoral policies in line with the challenges and opportunities for territorial development.
As reported, the Saeima on Thursday submitted a bill on the development of Latvia's eastern territory for consideration by the State Administration and Local Government Committee, which provides for the establishment of a special support fund that is estimated to require 50 million euros per year from the state budget.
